Archie, Vol. 6 (2018)

Okay, this volume made me smile, if only because it’s the one that reminds me the most of Riverdale thus far (it’s those Blossoms, they’re super-extra in every iteration of these characters.) After the High Drama of the last couple of volumes, we’re getting back to business more.

Riverdale is still recovering after the big events of the last two volumes, both in terms of dramatic occurrences and romantic goings-on. The spring dance seems like a way to reset and either get everyone back in their old groove or help them come to terms with their new normal… “seems” being the operant word. Of course, it can’t be that easy. There’s the ever-present matter of who’s going with who, a social pariah is back in town with something to prove, and the dance is hit by one hell of an unexpected twist (for the characters – what’s about to happen is fairly signposted for the readers, but the characters don’t know what hit them.) In order to deal with it, everyone’s going to have to come together.

Like I’ve said before, the angstiness of the previous arc didn’t quite gel for me. Even though Archie does lean on the teen angst semi-regularly, that storyline just took it into melodrama/After School Special territory, and I wasn’t a fan. As such, it’s a relief for me to see the story returning more to its usual thing here, with the added bonus of some quality Blossom family soap opera. Let’s be real – Riverdale would’ve gone even more outrageous with it, but seeing the over-the-top wildness of it all tickled me.

Other than that, it’s a pretty decent volume for our heroes. The gang attempts to use Archie’s chronic clumsiness as a force for good, we get some delightful Betty-Veronica friendship scenes (love those two,) and even though this version of Jughead isn’t canonically asexual/aromantic like his Jughead counterpart, the story remains very true to that side of him in how he’s depicted at a school dance. (Plus, side note? He utters the sentence, “I refuse to be forage-shamed,” which is just so wonderfully Jughead.) We also get some fun scenes from other characters, including Reggie leaning into his comic-book villainy and cute bits for Moose and Midge.

While I still wouldn’t put Archie in the same ranks as other comics I read, this is an enjoyable yarn. It features amusing sight gags, jokes that are the right amount of silly, and wild plotting that stays fun. I’m also all for a good “let’s all work together, team!” moment, and this story offers a nice helping of that.